


Brother's Canon in D

by DawnsEternalLight



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2019 [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Guitar, Music, No editing we die like mne, brothers bonding over music, violin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 19:46:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18430859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: Dick finds Damian practicing violin and decides to join in.





	Brother's Canon in D

**Author's Note:**

> For Dick and Dami week 2019 day 4 Music. I went with something short but sweet for this one, just a exploration of why they love music

“A ballroom?” Grayson’s voice echoed in the large room as he moved inside, grinning like a madman, “Isn’t that a bit grandiose for practice?”

Damian scowled at him and turned his attention back to his violin, “The acoustics are perfectly designed for playing. It is the most correct setting for any music, even practice.”

“Oh?” Grayson asked, grabbing a chair to drag close to Damian, “And is this practice for pleasure, or are you working on a performance?”

Damian shrugged, “A musician must always be ready to perform. However, this is for myself.”

He finished his tuning adjustments and brought the violin back up to playing position, he played a few notes and frowned, still a bit sharp. He adjusted it again and played the same notes, half a scale. The tone was perfect now.

“What’re you going to play?”

Damian had not thought about what song to play. He rarely did when he was playing for himself. Typically Damian allowed the music to come to him. Favorite songs, lullabies, and familiar tones usually flowed from the instrument. Sometimes he picked his way through new music, creating or working off of sheet music, but that was rare, and only in moments of inspiration when he wanted to work instead of relax.

“Is there something in particular you would like to hear?” Damian asked, instead of answering.

Grayson did not even hesitate, “Remember me.”

Damian frowned, “I am not familiar with that song.”

His brother shrugged, “That’s alright, you can play anything really. I just like to listen.”

The answer was sufficient for the moment, so Damian lifted the violin again and began a slow, soft melody from when he was first learning. It was not a difficult piece, but it was not as easy as the basic tunes most learned at the start of their lessons.

Damian’s violin teacher played it often, and he had liked the melody, and as such he had sought out to learn it. It was still one of his favorites. He had a few different versions of it downloaded to listen to whenever he wanted.

Grayson listened with his eyes closed as Damian played, opening them to smile at him when he was done.

“You know, I play the guitar.” Grayson said, leaning on one of his hands.

Damian glanced up from his violin to frown at him, “I was unaware you had that particular talent.”

Grayson nodded, his palm shaking with his head, “Yeah, it’s even come in handy for a case or two before. I’m not trained from birth or anything, but I’d like to say I’m pretty good.”

“Tt.” Damian looked away from him, turning his attention back down to the instrument in his lap, “I was not trained from birth to play this either.”

“Really?” There was genuine surprise in Grayson’s voice.

"Truly. I--” Damian paused, the memory of his insistence to his mother still fresh in his mind, “I decided to play it on my own. It was not part of my training.”

Something softened in Grayson’s eyes, “What inspired the desire?”

Damian hummed, “One of my teachers played. I used to listen to his music drift through the halls or when he would play in the gardens. It was,” he paused, “soothing.”

He brushed a hand over the instrument in his lap, the same one he’d learned on. Gifted to him by that same teacher on the day Damian had requested lessons.

“I had to convince Mother, but after explaining that it would help with dexterity, discipline, and generally round out my learning she acquiesced. It helped that I already had a teacher who could play well.”

The violin was not a particularly expensive one. Nor was it the best in it’s class. It was older, worn from years of use, not meant to make sounds as beautiful as those Damian pulled from it. He had a better one. Purchased for him by his Mother after his first concert.

It rested in his room, snug in its case and used only when Damian needed to perform for others. This one, well it was his favorite. The wood was soft from years of use, the strings many times replaced. It had history. It had been loved.

“I loved the sound of the guitar.” Grayson told him, “So on impulse I asked Bruce for one, and of course we went out that day shopping. I almost gave up two days into it.” Grayson chuckled.

Damian rolled his eyes at him, “Was it too much sitting around?”

Grayson poked him in the arm, “Don’t call me out like that. Anyway, I told Babs I was learning…”

“And she promised to marry you on the spot if you could play adequately?” Damian asked, smirking at him.

This time the poke was more of a jab, “No,” Grayson denied, “She said she liked the sound of guitars though. But my point was, that she told me not to give up after a few days, so I pushed through. Now I’ve been playing so long I hardly remember what it was like not to know.”

Damian nodded, “I feel that way sometimes. I have not played for as long as you have, but--”

“It gets in your soul.” Grayson said, “Gimme a second and I’ll go grab my old guitar. It’s still in my room.”

He raised an eyebrow at Grayson, “So you haven not played in years?”

“No, my _old_ guitar is not my only one. I’ve got a Rodriguez FF.1 at my apartment.”

“Tt. Show off.”

Grayson stood and waved him off, moving out of the room,“As if you don’t show off all the time. I’ll be right back.”

While Grayson was away Damian played another song he’d learned with Mother. Something mournful and haunting that felt like the desert, or how he felt the desert felt. It was a strange thought, but as Grayson had said, it is in a soul. Damian felt it deep in him, reverberating to bring up memories, mostly pleasant.

“That was lovely too.” Grayson said, returning. “What was it called?”

Damian shrugged, “I was not told it’s name.”

His brother nodded, and plucked a few strings, slowly warming up and tuning his guitar. It was sandy colored, with band stickers plastered on the wood. Damian could only imagine Father’s look of reproach when Grayson had put the first one on the instrument. Then it must have felt like a waste, now it gave insight into the child Grayson once was.

“Alright,” he said, finishing his warm up, “Let’s see if you know this one. Join me if you do.” he grinned, and then started playing.

Damian found himself lost in his brother’s music, so much so he forgot to pick up his violin and join in. The guitar carried a different feel than a violin, but it was still soothing. Damian could imagine Grayson taking the same joy and peace from playing as he did.

It was all too easy to lose one’s self in music. Damian found it both soothing and relaxing. It was something he had, and always would, do for himself. Where he used his art to funnel feelings until he understood them, he used music to center himself. To remind himself of the good and gentle things in the world.

Grayson’s grin only grew when he stopped, catching Damian’s face. “Gorgeous isn’t it?” he asked.

“It is quite lovely.” Damian agreed.

“Let’s try something else, a little more simple maybe? And we’ll work our way back up.” Grayson said.

He paused, thinking for a moment, before picking the guitar back up and starting a rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. It was a song Damian was immediately familiar with, and quickly joined in on.

Their duet rose and soared in the room with the perfect acoustics, humming together through the air like dancers entwined. Even as simple as the piece was, it still made Damian’s heart swell, and left him with a smile on his face when they were done.

Grayson was also smiling, something soft, gentle, and wistful. “Beautiful.” he said, “Wanna do it again?”

Damian answered by lifting his violin and playing the first note.


End file.
